The University of Tasmania relocation was not a factor in the decision to refuse a financial request from the Royal National Agricultural and Pastoral Society to help host the Launceston Show in 2018, according to the City of Launceston.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Wednesday the society was informed of the council’s decision to knock back a proposal to buy back the Launceston Showgrounds lease.
The show could not go on without the support due to the society’s precarious financial situation, president Jock Gibson said.
The council’s general manager Michael Stretton said the decision was based solely on infromation supplied in a report from an independent auditor.
“We're aware of views being expressed by a few people on social media that the Council has engineered the steady decline of the Royal Launceston Show, and is responsible for dwindling crowd numbers, changing public tastes and RNAPS' financial situation. These views are simply untrue,” he said.
RELATED STORIES:
“While the University of Tasmania has previously identified various parcels of land in Inveresk as potential future sites for car parking, future uses for the area currently leased by RNAPS are not under active consideration by the council.”
Hypothetically, if at some point in the future further car parking was required, the society could lease the land to the University, Mr Stretton said.
“The council has not voted to end the Show; that is a decision being taken by the RNAPS. While the council has not supported the RNAPS' recent proposal, the City of Launceston has been a major supporter of the Royal Launceston Show through its events sponsorship program.”
Mr Gibson said members of the society were still due to meet with council officers on Friday.
“We've got nothing in front of us that gives us any glimmer of hope,” he said.
The board had not yet set a date for its emergency meeting, with many people away, but a number of emails were going back and forth, Mr Gibson said.
He would not comment on online claims about the council’s alleged ulterior motives in denying the buyback of the lease.
UTAS was also contacted for comment.